Over winter break, our students continued to explore the themes and issues of their respective programs through immersive trips to D.C., Little Rock, and Europe.
Inside Civil Rights participants visited Little Rock, Arkansas, furthering their understanding of contemporary civil rights issues by first learning about the past. Students met with policymakers and stakeholders including Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, Dr. Jess Porter of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and filmmaker Tanisha Joe-Conway. The cohort visited historic sites and places of memory including West Ninth Street, the Mosaic Templars Museum, and the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. Through their visit to Little Rock, students were able to discuss and learn how Civil Rights struggles are still relevant to the country today.
“During our trip to Little Rock, we learned the history and the lasting impact of the Civil Rights movement in America. We studied not only the experience of African Americans, but also Japanese Americans who were placed in internment camps during World War II,” said Julia Clevinger ‘21.
“We able to see firsthand the lasting effects discrimination has had on different communities,” added Nina Rubenstein ‘21. “The trip has opened my eyes to the urgency and necessity of reaching out beyond one's own community to speak up and work against injustices.”
Clevinger agreed. “Moving forward, this experience will stay with me during my time at Gettysburg as I continue to learn about the struggles of previous and current Americans.”
Students in Strategy and Leadership in Transformational Times (SALTT) tapped into the experience and expertise of the Eisenhower Institute’s Washington, D.C. network. Participants met with professionals at the Institute’s office in the heart of the nation’s capital. The guests included Matthew Rojansky, Director of the Kennan Institute; Bill Beaman, Partner at JephsonBeaman, LLC; and Paul Saunders, Executive Director of the Center for the National Interest.
“By meeting D.C. professionals who have experience with the project we are working on, we were able to gain applicable advice and strengthen our professional networks,” said Haley Shultz ‘21. “This experience will continue to serve as inspiration for me during my time at Gettysburg as a reminder that I can one day be one of the professionals we met with.”
The Eisenhower Institute Undergraduate Fellows traveled to Brussels, Dublin, and Frankfurt to learn about issues of common security and common prosperity. During their trip, the Fellows visited Eurofound, a foundation dedicated to studying and improving the living and working conditions across Europe, the Climate Action Network, Europe’s largest coalition focusing on climate and energy issues, and NATO headquarters.
“During this experience, we covered the topics of Russia, terrorism, climate security, income inequality, and the future of the European Union and NATO,” said Jared McCully ‘19. “By doing so, we have a greater insight from top-level officials on the challenges and opportunities facing the United States and its European partners.”